Can-top lifter



A. C. MURRAY.

CAN TOP LlFTER.

APFUCATION man MAYQ. ms. RENEWED JUNE H, 2920.

1,366,272. Patented Jam 18,1921.

avwewtoz Application filed May 9, 1916, Se'ria1 No. 96,346.

ALEXANDER c. ,muan w, or wr m:luau, NEW A AND.

CAN-TOP LIFTER. V

To all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I,1ALEXANDER C. MUR- RAY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Timaru, in the Province of Canterbury andDominion of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Im-'provements in Can-Top Lifters; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. a

My invention relates to improvements in can top lifters particularlyadapted for use in connection with the ordinary type of flange tin topswhich are usually lifted by inserting a sharp instrument between theflange and the upper shoulder of the can.

An important object of this invention is to provide a device of,thecharacter described adapted for attachment to a can top andincluding a lever having .a fulcrum at one end thereof and a flangeextending from r the fulcrum and adapted to engage the under side of theflange on the can top, Whereby upon moving the lever upwardly, thefulcrum will cause the flange to rise and lift the can top free of thecan.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Figure l is a perspective of a top removing device applied to the top ofa can, and

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of the same.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred embodiment of myinvention, the numeral 5 designates'a can ofthe usual construction and provided at its upper side with an annularflange 6 which is U-shaped in cross section and provided with horizontaland vertical portions 7 and 8 respectively. 1 A removable top 9 isadapted to be arranged in the open with an annular flange 10 adapte tocontact with the annular flange 6. The annular flange 10 of thedetachable top 9 is substantially L-shaped in cross section as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

end of the can and is rovided Patented Jan. 18, 1921. Renewed June 11,1920. Serial No. 388,345.

As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the device is formed from a singlepiece of wire 22 bent intermediate its ends to form a thumb piece 23.The thumb piece is curved longitudinally for the purpose of affording agrip upon the device for facilitating the removal of the top. Extendingrearwardly from the thumb piece 23 is a pair of outwardly diverging arms24. The rear ends of the arms 24 are bent upwardly as shown at 25 forcontact with the inner side wall of the flange 10. Extending from theupright portions 25 and traversing the horizontal portions of the flange10 is a second pair of arms 26. The arms 26 form the head of the deviceand are provided at their outer extremities with inwardly extending arms27 contacting with the under side of the horizontal portion of theannular flange 10. The bight portion 28 connecting the arms 26 and thearms 27 is adapted to contact with the upper surface of the flange 6upon the pulling upwardly of the thumb piece 23. Extending outwardlyfrom the arms 27 and conforming to the peripheral curve of the annularflange 10 is a pair of embracing arms 29 contactin with the flange 10 asI causing the bight portion 28 to function as a fulcrum. It will beapparent that the portion of the top adjacent the bight portion 28 willbe raised upwardly thus permitting the removal of the top 9.

While I have shown and described the I preferred embodiment of myinvention it is understood that such minor changes in construction,combination, and arrangement of parts may be made as fall within thespirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim. 4

What I claim is A can top lifter formed from a single length of wirelooped at its medial portion to provide spaced arms, the web of the armsbeing bulged upwardly to provide a thumb receiving member, the ends ofthe arms being bent upwardly and extended forwardly and having theirterminals curved down- Werdly to constitute a fulcrum, the downwardlyextending portions of the arms being bent rearwardly in spaced parallelrelation with the forwardly extending portions and havin terminals. bentlaterally in opposite directions and slightly curved to define canembracing arms, which are adapted to en- 7 Witnesses:

A. C. MAoINTY T. RoBsoN.

gage a portion of theoan to permit the top to be readily liftedtherefrom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER-C. MURRAY.

